Lift truck



LIFT TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 11, 1959 Oct. 25, 1960 R. BRENNEMAN LIFT TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 11, 1959 VIII/111114;";

I l \I argue/wk a u JFopzzzac L bizzzm lmamr ATTORNEYS United States Patent LIFT TRUCK Roderick L. Brenneman, Rte. 1, Box 309, Corvallis, Oreg.

Filed June 11, 1959, Ser No. 819,653

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-620) The present invention relates to a lift truck and particularly to a load engaging attachment for a fork lift truck.

The primary object of the invention is to provide :a swivel load support for the lifting forks of a lift truck to permit a relatively long load to be maneuvered into and out of relatively confined spaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swivel attachment of the class described above which can be attached and removed speedily with a minimum of tools and equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swivel attachment of the class described above in which antifriction means supports the load to assist in the swiveling action.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a swivel attachment for lift trucks of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to attach and which permits a greater latitude in the use of the lift truck in confined spaces.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention shown attached to a lift truck and in use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the invention;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through the attachment;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the attachment;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 55 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a swivel attachment for a lift truck generally indicated at 11.

The lift truck 11 includes a vertically movable frame 12 having a pair of forks 13 mounted for swinging movement on a horizontal shaft 14. The forks 13 each include a generally vertical portion 15 carrying on the lower ends thereof a forwardly extending horizontal portion 16. The horizontal portions 16 of the forks 13 are arranged in spaced parallel relation, as can be clearly seen in Figure 4.

The horizontal portions 16 of the forks 13 are each provided with a horizontal ear 17 on the adjacent inner edges thereof.

A generally rectangular flat plate 18 is positioned be tween the horizontal portions 16 of the forks 13 and is secured to the ears 17 by means of bolts 19. A generally rectangular bar 20 is secured to the upper surface of each side edge of the plate 18, projecting beyond the side edges thereof to rest on the horizontal portions 16 of the forks 13, as is clearly shown in Figure 2. A transverse bar 21 is arranged in underlying relation to the inner end of the plate 18 and is spaced therebelow by a pair of oppositely disposed spacing blocks 22. The bar 21 engages under the inner ends of the horizontal portions 16 of the forks 13 adjacent the vertical portions 15 thereof. The bars 20, the bar 21 and the bolts 19 secure the plate 18 to the horizontal portions 16 of the forks 13 so that movement of the forks 13 will cause similar movement of the plate 18.

A generally rectangular flat platform 23 is provided With an upstanding flange 24 adjacent one edge thereof. The platform 23 has a cylindrical pin 25 welded thereto in centrally positioned depending relation. The plate 18 has a vertical opening 26 formed therein axially aligned with the pin 25 and underlying the pin 25. A raceway plate 27 is welded to the upper face of the plate 18 and has a central bore 28 formed therein through which the pin 25 extends. A washer 29 is secured to the lower end of the pin 25 by bolts 30 extending upwardly therethrough.

A plurality of ballbearing rollers 31 of conventional design are interposed between the platform 23 and the raceway plate 27 to support the platform 23 above the plate 18 and to permit swiveling movement of the platform 23 with respect to the plate 18.

In the use and operation of the invention, an exceptionally long load, such as the stack of plywood, indicated generally at 32 in Figure l, is supported centrally on the platform 23 and moves with the lift truck 11 to the desired position. By having the platform 23 swivelly mounted on the plate 18, the load 32 can be turned with respect to the truck 11 to permit the load 32 to be moved through relatively narrow aisles, into and out of relatively narrow freight cars and into other positions wherein the lift truck 11 fails to have sufiicient maneuverability to otherwise handle exceptionally long loads.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A swivel attachment for lift trucks of the type including a pair of spaced parallel generally horizontal lifting forks having a pair of diametrically arranged ears formed integral with the adjacent inner edges of said lift forks, comprising a generally horizontal flat plate, a pair of longitudinally extending bars secured to the upper surface of said plate and extending outwardly beyond the side edges of said plate to engage the upper surface of said lift forks to retain said plate in operative relation to said forks, securing means extending through said plate and said ears to rigidly secure said plate on said lift forks, a transverse bar mounted on the undersurface of said plate and spaced therefrom by spacing blocks so that said transverse bar is mounted for engaging under said forks to support said plate between said forks, a generally rectangular platform centrally overlying the outer end of said plate, and means swivelly supporting said platform on said plate.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said last named means includes anti-friction bearing means supporting said platform on said plate.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said platform is provided with an upstanding flange extending across one end edge thereof and rigidly secured thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,410,373 Westervelt Oct. 29, 1946 

